Rests indicate silent notes in music and come in different symbols to show the length of the pause. A whole bar rest signifies a full bar of silence, while half, quarter, and eighth rests get progressively shorter, similar to note durations. Rests tell musicians when not to play their instrument while others continue playing.

1. Quiet!
Rests
Sssh!

2. So! If the notes tell you when and
what to play, the rests tell you when
NOT to play. It indicates a SILENT
note.
This might be because there is a
short pause in the music, or for
piano or orchestral music, simply
that that instrument or hand is not
playing at that moment whilst the
others continue.

3. Just like the notes there are different
symbols to signify different lengths:
= whole bar
This is the longest rest you’ll be learning.
Technically it lasts 4 beats, however it is
usually used to show a whole bar’s rest,
even if the bar is 3 beats for example.
(We will get onto bars and time signatures
later)

4. = 2 beats
Very similar to the whole bar rest, but note
that this rectangle lies on the middle line
while the other hangs from the line above:
= 1 beat

5. = ½ beat
From then on the shape stays the same with
each new line halving the length of the
rest, just as happens with the notes.
= ¼ beat

6. = (usually)
=
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